IT'S ROUND 20 and that means ... we only have 10 trades to go!
Yep, that's right – 10 trades to go and for Max Holmes (DEF/MID, $964,000) owners, one trade is down the drain as the Geelong midfielder is set to be sidelined for the remainder of the Fantasy season with an ankle injury.
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Whether you're moving Holmes to another elite midfielder or defender you don't have, or shopping for value, this significant move could be the deciding factor for your Fantasy season success.
It's been a tough year, and we have been hit with more challenges than ever before. However, with five rounds to go, now is the time to keep fighting on to ensure you have the ultimate bragging rights over your mates for the summer or be the lucky one to drive away in the Toyota Tundra Platinum.
Trap or treat?
Here are some of the traps to avoid and some treats worth considering for the round ahead.
Rowan Marshall (RUCK/FWD, $916,000) – TRAP
As St Kilda's solo ruck, Marshall has been fantastic averaging 130 in his last three games, but De Koning's return is now closer than ever. It's now too late to grab him. Sorry, you've missed the boat.
Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $903,000) - TREAT
This is the cheapest Whitfield has been all year and in his last three games against the Swans he has scored 101, 109 and 107 – avoiding the James Jordon tag each time. Fingers crossed that continues!
Izak Rankine (MID/FWD, $869,000) – TREAT
Rankine has attended the most centre ball-ups at the Crows over the last three weeks and during this time he's averaged 107. This is not a coincidence. Next up: Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond.
Archie Roberts (DEF, $817,000) – TRAP
Prior to getting injured, Roberts was coming off scores of 75 and 78. He returned in round 18 and has now scored 69 and 88 over the last two weeks. Cheaper than the $1,131,000 he was ... but I'm not buying.
Jhye Clark (MID/FWD, $478,000) – TREAT
Need a cheap forward? Clark was great last week floating across half-back taking nine marks for his score of 98. Geelong has injury concerns and this 21-year-old is ready to make the most of his opportunities.
Most traded in
- Wayne Milera (DEF, $897,000)
- Izak Rankine (FWD, $869,000)
- Jay Polkinghorne (FWD, $265,000)
- Bailey Smith (MID, $1,113,000)
- Lachie Whitfield (DEF, $903,000)
Geelong has a great run coming up and if you don't have Bailey Smith (MID, $1,113,000) – make this the No.1 priority this week. Over the next five weeks, Smith has some match-ups that could see him hit the heights of 150-plus. He's a great vice-captain option this Friday night, so if you're not onboard, you better join the club this week.
Most traded out
- Max Holmes (DEF/MID, $964,000)
- Joel Fitzgerald (MID, $526,000)
- Christian Petracca (MID/FWD, $740,000)
- Sam Banks (DEF/MID, $579,000)
- Sam Durham (MID/FWD, $793,000)
We have 10 trades left in the AFL Fantasy season and now is the time to cash out some players on the bench. After scoring 37 last week, it's unlikely that Sam Banks (DEF/MID, $579,000) is an on-field option this week and the same can be said for Melbourne's Joel Fitzgerald (MID, $526,000) who only managed 55 per cent game time last week for his score of 42. Both need to be traded, especially if you need the cash to finish off your team for the run home.
Most popular trade
Max Holmes (DEF/MID, $964,000) to Wayne Milera (DEF, $897,000)
Thousands of coaches are looking to trade the injured Holmes this week, and the most popular move is to the man known as "Wayne".
Adelaide is missing some key players down back, so this means, everything is now run through the under-priced defender.
Wayne was elite last week for his 128 and over the coming weeks, his draw gets even easier. With Collingwood, Essendon and Richmond up next, expect Wayne to comfortably average 110-plus during this period.
Draft: One-week wonders
A strategy in draft is to find one-week streaming options. This means, finding a player who has low ownership (most likely in the free agents) and an option for a one-week play. You may require a player like this to fill any holes in your team while you wait for an injured player to return or for one of your players to gain dual-position status.
Here are some players with low ownership that might be worth a punt on for this week.
Miles Bergman (DEF) v Brisbane – Bergman scored 81 last week and due to Port's current injuries, he was their No.1 midfielder. He doesn't have the best match-up this week, but a great player to stash away ready for draft finals.
Bailey Williams (DEF/MID) v Richmond – Bailey Dale is out for 4-6 weeks and Williams wasted no time taking over his role down back for the Dogs. He scored 111 and even has a juicy match-up this week.
Jhye Clark (FWD) v Melbourne – In his fourth game of the year, Clark was everywhere last week for his score of 98. His job security is strong, he has a great draw coming up and he sits in just seven per cent of leagues. Â
Live Teams Show
The Traders will be live from 6.15pm AEST on Thursday to cover all the important ins and outs as teams are announced. They break down the popular trades, discuss captains and answer all your burning questions. Watch the Live Teams Show every Thursday night via AFL.com.au and the AFL Live Official App and ask your questions in the comments.
Listen to the AFL Fantasy Podcast with The Traders at Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Calvin's best captains
Your captain scores you double points and as always, we need all the points we can get. Make sure you tune in tonight when the Traders go live at 6:15pm on afl.com.au or via the AFL Live Official App to see who Calvin has in his top-5 and who the Traders are locking in as their captain options for the round ahead.
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